GERMAN GIRL’S RECORD

Evening Star, Issue 22351, 29 May 1936, Page 1

GERMAN GIRL’S RECORD

SENSATIONAL SWIMMING TIMES PROSPECTS FOR GOMiKG OLYMPICS With characteristic thoroughness, Germany is preparing her athletes for the forthcoming Olympic Games, to be held in Berlin in August, and in not any branch of the sport will the Fatherland he more strongly represented than in swimming. Swimmers snd divers of both sexes have for several months past been receiving expert instruction from the nation’s most capable coaches, and, according to news by last mail, representatives of other countries will,be set a stiff task to outswim and outdive tho Germans (writes P. Hellmrich in the ‘ Sporting Globe ’). Most swimming experts consider that Miss Hideko Maehata, of Japan, is'almost certain to carry off the 200 metres breast stroke title at Berlin, but a German girl, Hanni Holzner, is improving at such an amazing rate that her compatriots consider that she is capable of giving her wash to the tiry " panesa mermaid.

Miss Holzner is the present holder of the 100 metres world’s breast stroke record of 1.24 5-10, established in January, 1935, in a 25-metre pool at Copenhagen, but it was considered that she would never become a. world class performer over 200 metres. This assumption has proved to be erroneous, for a , few weeks ago Hanni swam , 200yds breast stroke in a 25-metre pool in 2.46 3- which was only 1 7-10 outside the world’s record held by her countryi woman, Martha Genenger. Now comes news that Miss Holzner | has swum 200yds ; in 2.42 3-5, or 2 2-oseo ' faster than Miss Genenger’s listed world’s record. Miss Holzner’s time . for 200yds is convincing proof that she | is capable of beating Miss Maehata’s 200 metres world’s record of 3.00 2-6, and German swimming enthusiasts es- ( pect her to bo the first woman in the world to break 3min for the Olympic distance. SPEEDY COLLEGIANS. That the United States is developing a real flock of speed swimmers is mdii cated by the results of the annual High School Carnival, held in the 25yds pool of Rutgers University, when students of Blair Academy shattered two national scholastic records, Hack, Reiniker, and Calburn succeeded in lowering the three stroke relay record from 3.10 to 3.09. 4- then, with Sabol to complete a team of four, reduced the 200 metres relay figures from 1.37 to 1.36 4-5, averaging the good time of 24 l-5_ for each 50yds. Sahol, who had previously registered 53 4-5, won tho 100yds free style swim ;;t-54,! and..,Albert vandp Weghe, who will undoubtedly represent America at Berlin, won the 100yds hack stroke swim in tho fine time of 60 3-ssec, just 3sec better than the Australian record established by Percy Oliver, of West Australia, in winning the 100yds national games championship at Adelaide in February. WONDERFUL RUSSIAN GIRL. Russia has developed a young girl named Marta Sokolava, whose breast stroke performances stamp her as ■ the speediest exponent of her_ sex in the world at this style of swimming, but because the Russian Amateur Swimming Association is not affiliated with the Federal International de Natation Amateur, her times will not gain official recognition. Twice during the • last two months Marta Sokolava has swum 100 metres at breast stroke in 1.23, which is 1 5-10 better than the world’s record credited to Miss Hanni Holzner, of Germany. Carlos Piernavieja, a young Spaniard, whose swimming is arousing great enthusiasm in his native country, shattered another Spanish record in a 25metre pool recently when ho swam 100 metres in 1.14 9-10, clipping 2 1-10 oif tho previous mark.